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Food supply chains hold significant embodied carbon emissions that need to be mitigated and neutralized. This study aimed to explore the historical Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions associated with household food consumption at a local scale i.e. across the eight English regions and the four nations that comprise the United Kingdom (UK). UK EatWell guidelines were used to explore the potential change in emissions and food costs in a scenario of transitions to healthier diets across the study areas. These emissions were calculated based on food consumption data before the advent of the Covid-pandemic i.e. between the years 2001 and 2018. Spatial data analysis was used to explore if the study areas had any significant correlations with respect to the emissions during the study period. The results displayed a potential reduction in GHG emissions for all study areas in the explored scenario. Further impacts include a reduction in household food costs across a majority of the areas during the study period. However, a consistent trend of significant correlations among the study areas was absent. This study concludes that local or regional policymaking should take precedence over national regulations to achieve healthier diets that are both carbon-neutral and affordable for the households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractVibrational spectroscopy is a nondestructive analysis technique that depends on the periodic variations in dipole moments and polarizabilities resulting from the molecular vibrations of molecules/atoms. These methods have important advantages over conventional analytical techniques, including (a) their simplicity in terms of implementation and operation, (b) their adaptability to on-line and on-farm applications, (c) making measurement in a few minutes, and (d) the absence of dangerous solvents throughout sample preparation or measurement. Food safety is a concept that requires the assurance that food is free from any physical, chemical, or biological hazards at all stages, from farm to fork. Continuous monitoring should be provided in order to guarantee the safety of the food. Regarding their advantages, vibrational spectroscopic methods, such as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), near-infrared (NIR), and Raman spectroscopy, are considered reliable and rapid techniques to track food safety- and food authenticity-related issues throughout the food chain. Furthermore, coupling spectral data with chemometric approaches also enables the discrimination of samples with different kinds of food safety-related hazards. This review deals with the recent application of vibrational spectroscopic techniques to monitor various hazards related to various foods, including crops, fruits, vegetables, milk, dairy products, meat, seafood, and poultry, throughout harvesting, transportation, processing, distribution, and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Local food' plays a critical role in tourism destinations by attracting tourists and enhancing their experiences, thus indicating the need for researchers to examine how destinations can establish local food. Research has focused on the social and cultural construction of local food, but there have been limited inquiries into how the materiality of food is intertwined with human practices in the process. This perspective has hindered new insights into the becoming of local food in tourism destinations. This study conceptualises local food as an effect of an actor-network and investigates the dynamic and relational process of the becoming of local food in a tourism destination. In particular, this research selected Chaozhou beef food as a case and collected data through 49 on-site semi-structured interviews, in-situ observations and secondary data. The results reveal that the becoming of Chaozhou's local food is due to the entanglement of both human actors, including tourists, artisans in slaughterhouses and staff in restaurants, and non-human actors such as the media, chain restaurants specialising in beef, tourism attractions and the beef itself. Further, the results reveal that the materiality of beef, namely the features of biochemical change and the morphological structure of beef, shapes the slaughterhouses' and restaurants' production and the tourists' consumption of beef. Thus, the agency of material should be considered in the construction and sustainability of local food in tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small grains provide agronomic benefits that are critical to the success of organic production, and opportunities within local food movements create expanded markets for small grains. However, diversifying rotations with small grains can present challenges related to production, infrastructure, and markets. Here, we draw upon over two decades of integrated research and Extension efforts to support organic small grain production in the Upper Midwest, Northeast, and other regions of the United States where these crops are underutilized. Lessons learned have led to the development of guiding principles for a systems‐level approach to support regional organic small grain production. Forming innovative partnerships between farmers, researchers, and end users is critical. This enables research, production, and markets to adjust to local needs, adapt to available infrastructure, and foster local grain economies. The key research challenges that lie ahead are also discussed, especially adapting organic grain production practices to regional conditions and changing climates. The systems‐level approach to organic small grain research highlighted here will increase the success and resilience of organic farms across the United States and expand the adoption of organic small grain production. Core Ideas: Local food movements are creating markets for small grains that provide opportunities for organic farmers.Growing small grains provides agronomic benefits that are critical to successful organic field crop production.Production challenges include lack of local infrastructure, adapting to local climate, and local market demands.A systems‐level approach of regional partnerships between farmers, researchers, and end users enables farm success.Research must continue to adapt organic grain production practices to regional conditions and changing climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Rationale: This article reflects upon the growing use of major sport events as a way to bring about new forms of collaborations between sports actors and local governments. It seeks to determine the extent to which these collaborations can produce sustainable local sports policies. Design/Methodology/Approach: This work is based on a case study of the collaboration between the French Golf Federation and the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines community for the hosting of the 2018 Ryder Cup. It draws on a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews conducted with leaders from both organizations. Findings: This work shows how an event-based relationship is a double-sided opportunity, as it serves to align interests in the short run but fails to drive local sport development in the longer run. Research contribution: The paper adds new perspectives for the analysis of sport events' legacy by studying a collaborative governance process for the implementation of a local sport policy. It also questions it through the collaboration between sports federations and local authorities. Practical implications: Several issues identified in the results are discussed in order to envision ways to put major sport events at the service of host territories and question the utility of event-based local sport policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study clarifies the pathway to sustainable local food consumption highlighting ethical branding. Literature suggests that ethical brands promote continuous local food consumption, however, the structure of purchasing factors and impact has not been fully elucidated. A model is constructed in which empathy‐based social responsibility and self‐identity drive the purchase of local food, and ethical brand purchasing influences consumers' perception of retailers' ethics. The model is tested using a questionnaire survey and three years of actual purchase data on consumer purchases of ethically branded local foods. Results show that purchasing local food products, especially ethically branded ones, is mediated by consumers' self‐identity toward social responsibility based on empathy, and self‐oriented purchasing enhances consumers' perception of retailers' ethics. Theoretical implications of the validated model for the studies on local food and ethical consumption, and the practical implications of ethical branding for organizations striving for sustainable development, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A discrete choice experiment in Kinshasa (DRC) investigated urban consumers' preferences between imports and local options for five staple foods – cassava, rice, maize, sugar and cooking oil – under a random utility model. We also examined how distance, packaging and price influenced consumer choice. To assess whether preferences could be manipulated, we introduced two treatment groups – local, import – and a control group. We did not find support for a preference for imports. Instead, there is a statistically significant preference for local products, with the exception of sugar. Respondents are willing to pay 28% more for local food, a premium quantified at 1540 CF (.93 USD) per kg for maize and 1091CF (.66 USD) per litre for oil. Packaging is an attribute of influence as the willingness to pay (WTP) in full remains positive when products interact with packaging and with price. There is demand for local products for which consumers are willing to pay a premium. Yet, DRC imports 1.5 billion dollars of food yearly with only 10% of its arable land exploited. The increased urban consumption of imports does not signify a bias against local products, but rather points to structural issues undermining local supply. DRC needs to develop local value chains linking rural farmers to urban markets through the transformation of local foods to meet urban needs and to convert the WTP into a producer surplus benefiting rural livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do protracted crises shape indigenous food systems, and what are their ramifications for food and nutritional security? Building on decolonial and interdisciplinary research approaches, this paper assesses the consequences of militarised violence for Kashmir's food system. We document the impact of settler‐colonialism and conflict‐induced agrarian changes on delocalisation of diets. The protracted nature of the crises has two key implications for changes in dietary patterns. First, land control over common land dispossesses the local population and hinders food production. Second, disenfranchisement from (agricultural) land has led to increased reliance on markets that are flooded by imported foods as local production declines. The paper argues that the state plays an important role in food system changes by destroying local patterns of food production and consumption. Slow violence and agrarian de‐development serve as tools to de‐develop the local food system. Indigenous food cultures form part of everyday resistance and resilience that are operationalised as mitigation and adaptation strategies to address food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of the performance of polycentric governance over time is insufficiently addressed in the literature. By performance, we refer to the ability of polycentric governance actors to design rules and engage in coordination processes that allow them to achieve their goals. Through an institutional analysis, this paper seeks to answer a question that remains unresolved in the field, namely the effectiveness of the overarching set of rules and coordination relationships in their ability to drive institutional and organizational change in polycentric governance processes. To this end, we conduct an in‐depth case study of farmland governance in southeastern France. Through the attributes of polycentric governance, we examine the changes brought about by the goal of local food supply comparing it with other historical goals such as farmland preservation. We show that farmland governance is characterized by an institutional mismatch that prevents its actors from moving closer to the objective of local food supply. We argue that the evolution of farmland governance comes down to organizational change that does not lead to an evolution of rules‐in‐use. We discuss this result in light of the findings of the literature on polycentric governance and its implications for public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative Food Networks (AFN) have garnered significant attention recently, yet the concept remains fuzzy. This paper examines the evolving interpretations of AFN over the past two decades, aiming for conceptual clarity. Using a three-stage approach to systematic literature reviews, we conducted a rigorous synthesis of existing research. Through concept and thematic analyses, we identified key attributes and recurring themes associated with AFN. While a conceptual consensus remains elusive, diverse definitions often share essential attributes such as “alterity,” “proximity,” “connectedness,” and “sustainability.” Additionally, we find that AFN and short food supply chains generally describe the same phenomenon, with civic food networks viewed as a subset of AFN, emphasizing community engagement and civic participation. Notably, AFN are not always local food systems, nor do local food systems always involve AFN. To address these nuances, we present guiding questions to assist researchers in studying and reporting on AFN. This work clarifies the core attributes of AFN and offers a roadmap for focused inquiries. Ultimately, our findings aim to guide decision-making processes, ensuring that efforts to support AFN are rooted in a nuanced understanding of their complexities and potential for driving change in food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

West Sumatra is a region in Indonesia with a high supply of local food sources at reasonable costs, such as cassava, purple sweet potatoes, white sweet potatoes, and taro. However, it turns out that local food sources have not been widely utilized. This study aims to formulate a sustainability strategy for the development of the local food industry. The research method used is a focus group discussion with the government and business actors in the local food industry in West Sumatera. The strategies created will consider the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by the local food industry using a SWOT analysis. Results classified 8 items under strengths, 9 under weakness, 10 under opportunities, and 8 under threats. Based on this, a strategy will be formulated which is a combination of the part of SWOT area that consists of 2 SO strategies, 2 WO strategies, 2 WT strategies, and 2 ST strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article in the magazine "Environmental Legal News" compiles several articles from periodical publications on topics such as access to justice, agriculture, water, food, among others. It highlights the protection of agricultural lands, the recognition of water as a subject of rights in Peru, and the distribution of food in local food systems. It also addresses topics such as green public procurement, environmental taxation, and food security. [Extracted from the article]

A limited‐area model (LAM) is established based on a global model (Global–Regional Integrated Forecast System; GRIST). GRIST–LAM inherits all the technical features of its global counterpart, enabling independent regional weather and climate modeling. The key advancement involves extending the original dynamical core to integrate it under the lateral boundary conditions (LBCs). As an initial development and evaluation study, this paper focuses on the consistency issue between the LAM and the global model. Three perfect‐model tests, using global solutions as LBCs and background truths, were performed to evaluate the LAM behaviors. In the pure dynamical core test, the LBC errors do not compromise the solutions within the interior domain. However, certain configurations can lead to more discontinuous solutions at the domain boundary. The solution error for a specified region decreases as the domain size increases when all other factors are equal. A small error pulse is generated during the initial stage of integration due to the presence of artificial transient waves induced by the LBCs. The model generates fine‐scale details and smaller errors based on coarser‐resolution LBCs. The consistency between LAM and LBC also influences the errors. The climate simulations demonstrate that both hydrostatic and non‐hydrostatic LAMs can reach statistical equilibrium. Regional model climates in the interior domain have higher quality but are sensitive to domain size and LBC configuration. Using a variable LBC coefficient is helpful to alleviate the artificial precipitation at the boundary. In the kilometer‐scale test, the global variable‐resolution model and its LAM counterpart show comparable results. Their performance is competitive with that of a uniform‐resolution global storm‐resolving simulation. Global variable‐resolution and LAM generate higher magnitudes in the tail part of the kinetic energy spectra due to higher local resolution and produce a consistent time evolution of precipitation. The broad implication of this study is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colour polymorphism is an example of visible phenotypic variability that is often associated with ecological factors and may produce local adaptations. Small populations, particularly in islands, offer opportunities for evolutionary novelties, and are therefore of particular interest to the study of polymorphisms. Here we study the dynamics of female colour morphs in the damselfly Ischnura elegans in the Balearic Islands. We found that insular populations are small, show low density, low mating activity, and low androchrome frequency. Our surveys suggest that male harassment is a powerful force in the dynamics of this female-limited polymorphism, because high male densities result in lower presence of mature females around the water, where copulation takes place. Non-male-like (infuscans) females have higher mating frequency. Androchromes were rare (15%) in all populations, but the frequency of the two non-male like females (infuscans and aurantiaca) was reversed between islands, despite their geographical proximity. We found a possible novel morph, suggesting that insular conditions allow innovations. Fitness differences between the two non-male-like females of I. elegans are still understudied, because most previous research has concentrated on the maintenance of androchromes, and are therefore a priority for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In numerical atmospheric models that treat cloud and rain droplet populations as separate condensate categories, precipitation initiation in warm clouds is often represented by an autoconversion rate (Au) $(Au)$, which is the rate of formation of new rain droplets through the collisions of cloud droplets. Being a function of the cloud droplet size distribution (DSD), the local Au $Au$ is commonly parameterized as a function of DSD moments: cloud droplet number nc $\left({n}_{c}\right)$ and mass qc $\left({q}_{c}\right)$ concentrations. When applied in a large‐scale model, the grid‐mean Au $Au$ must also include a correction, or enhancement factor, to account for the horizontal variability of the cloud properties across the model grid. In this study, we evaluate the Au representation in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 2 (E3SMv2) climate model using large‐eddy simulations (LES), which explicitly resolve cloud droplet spectra, and therefore the local Au $Au$, as well as its spatial variability. The analysis of an ensemble of warm low‐level cloud cases shows that the E3SMv2 formulation represents the Au $Au$ reasonably well compared to the horizontally averaged explicitly computed rate from LES. The agreement, however, comes from a combination of an underestimated E3SM‐tuned local Au $Au$ rate and an overestimated subgrid cloud variability enhancement factor. The latter bias is traced to neglecting the horizontal variability of nc ${n}_{c}$ and its co‐variability with qc ${q}_{c}$ in parameterizing the grid‐mean Au $Au$. Plain Language Summary: When representing clouds in large‐scale weather and climate systems, models often compute the rate of formation of rain droplets through cloud droplet collisions as a function of cloud droplet number concentration and liquid water content averaged over the model horizontal grid, typically extending to 10–100 km. This rate, also known as an autoconversion rate, is then multiplied by an enhancement factor that accounts for the non‐linearity of that function and the cloud variability at smaller unresolved scales. We assess how well this rain initiation process is captured in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) by utilizing advanced high‐resolution cloud simulations that explicitly resolve cloud droplet spectra and spatial variability on scales from few tens of meters to 10 km. Our findings reveal that, while E3SM reasonably represents the overall rain droplet formation rate, it stems from a combination of underestimating the local rate and overestimating the enhancement factor accounting for unresolved subgrid cloud variability. This latter overestimation is traced to neglecting horizontal variability in the cloud droplet number concentration, offering valuable insights for improving the performance of global atmospheric models. Key Points: Formulations of a local autoconversion rate (Au) and its enhancement factor in E3SM are comprehensively evaluated using large‐eddy simulationsA reasonable grid‐mean Au in E3SM is produced by an underestimated local rate combined with an overestimated enhancement factorDroplet number concentration variability and co‐variability with liquid water content must be considered to improve the enhancement factor [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory chronic disease. The objective of the study was to assess the influence of environmental factors on the severity of atopic dermatitis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at a pediatric department in Cotonou and Parakou among children aged 0-17 years with atopic dermatitis. The severity of atopic dermatitis was assessed using SCORAD. Data on environmental factors was collected on the fields or by asking questions to the parents. Results: Sixty-seven girls and forty boys were included using the United Kingdom Working Party criteria. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis was 5.1%. The mean age at the onset of disease was 36.06 +- 42.48 months. Pruritis was present in 97.2% of the cases and sleep disturbing in 25.2% of the cases. Common eczema was present in 44.8% of the cases and follicular eczema in 11.2%. Mild to severe atopic dermatitis were observed in 68.8%. Factors associated with the severity of atopic dermatitis were dry season, light wind's rate, some foods such as maize, sorghum, millet, eggs, okra, use of a cream called Sinzaa. Firewood, coal, domestic gas, pets (dogs, cats), garden, dust, mold, and the number of people in the room were not associated with the severity of atopic dermatitis. Discussion: Local foods were the environmental factors that had an influence on the severity of atopic dermatitis in our study. Conclusion: Some environmental factors had an influence on the severity of atopic dermatitis in Cotonou and Parakou, Benin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the role of shared meaning for organising Alternative Food Networks (AFNs). Extant research shows that organisational elements, such as rules, and hybridisation of conventional and alternative modes of food provisioning are important for AFN organisation. Yet, they might both enable and hinder the aims of AFNs. Complementing this body of research, the article investigates how AFN participants work out the appropriate kind of organisation for realising 'a promise of difference'. Introducing Zelizer's 'relational work', the article investigates how AFN participants foster a shared meaning of participating and thereby identify what practices are appropriate for its organisation. The analysis draws on extensive ethnographic materials from Swedish REKO‐rings (a direct marketing arrangement for local foods). The findings show how the REKO‐ring participants' relational work negotiates and establishes shared meaning; what practices are appropriate and inappropriate for organising decent food provisioning. The study contributes to extant research by showing the fundamental role of shared (and discordant) meaning for the organisation of market‐based alternatives to the current food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing dietary calcium intakes of Ethiopian women of reproductive age (WRA) is a public health priority for reducing pre‐eclampsia in pregnancy. Using linear programming, we determined whether locally available foods consumed by WRA in nine regions (urban and rural) and two administrative cities of Ethiopia could provide 1000 mg/day of dietary calcium, and we identified food‐based recommendations (FBRs) to improve dietary calcium adequacy in each region. Results showed that diets providing 1000 mg/day of calcium were feasible in eight regions (40%) of the target populations examined. It would, however, require marked changes for most populations (90%), increasing the number of servings per week of several food groups to levels close to those of high consumers in each population. The selected calcium‐specific FBRs integrate well into the 2022 Ethiopian Dietary Guidelines, requiring additional messages to consume green leafy vegetables, milk, root crops, or teff (Eragrostis tef) or to consume a higher number of servings of vegetables than currently recommended, depending on the population. In conclusion, these analyses show that a food‐based approach can be used to achieve dietary calcium adequacy among WRA in 40% of the populations examined. For the other populations, food‐based interventions alone may be inadequate and other interventions are likely needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern domestication efforts have occurred in a wide range of species. These efforts have led to different levels of change from the initial wild populations and market success. In this study, we explore different breeding cycle parameters to understand the rate of change in different potential starting points of neo‐domestication breeding programs. The design of a program that will bring a new crop to market requires consideration of cost efficiency and resource allocation. More crop diversity on the market creates an opportunity to design different types of food systems that can be tailored toward regional and local food security. Stochastic simulation of the rate of gain and variance is applied to different parameter combinations through the breeding cycle—crossing, evaluation, and selection—to identify population level changes along the continuum of wild to semi‐domestic plant species. The simulated breeding schemes differ in phenotypic gain and variance depending on selection strategy and population type, discovering the largest phenotypic gain of oligogenic traits occurring using phenotypic recurrent selection for landrace and orphan populations while choosing genomic selection for wild populations. There were also differences based on selection strategy, with maximum avoidance consistently leading to lower gains but higher additive variance. Overall, when looking to domesticate a new species, our simulations find phenotypic recurrent selection to be the most cost‐effective option and lead to the most gain in early generations of selection, with marker technology being most useful once initial gains have plateaued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The local people of Sarawak commonly made unique dishes out of the local distinctive resources for its health beneficial nutrients. Yet, many potentials of the local Sarawak food ingredients are less likely to be exploited. One of the main produces of Sarawak is the starch from Metroxylon sagu. Our study reviewed that sago starch is not only active in health beneficial bioactivities such as antioxidative, it also possesses positive prebiotic response. Other local indigenous fruits, vegetable and spices of Sarawak as potential functional food includes Sarawak pepper; midin, the edible fern; terung asam, the sour eggplant; dabai, the Bornean olive; engkalak, the Bornean avocado; Terap, the local 'jackfruit'; embangan, the local wild mango; and the edible palm heart (EPH) from palm tree. Research on the edible fern (midin), edible palm hearts (umbut), spices such as turmeric and pepper from Sarawak has revealed a positive functionality in terms of prebiotic potential, antioxidative, antimicrobial and many more. Conclusively, the wide food varieties of Sarawak are potential functional food. Therefore, this work aimed to publicise the health beneficial functionalities of the local indigenous food which then value‐added the rare local food resources, and boost the local farmer's production and economic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils (EOs) extracted from local plant by steam distillation from the aerial parts (fresh – dried) of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), pistachio (Pistacia lentiscus L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). Monoterpenes were identified by GC-MS as main compounds, namely 1,8-cineole (34.5–35 %), α-pinene (36.2–36.6 %) and thymol (42.2–42.1 %). Our results showed that EOs tested had antibacterial effects at different levels, with MICs ranging from 1.56 to 6.25 mg.mL−1. Fresh rosemary EO was synergistic against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27,853 when combined with dried rosemary EO and fresh pistachio EO, with MICs half those of oils alone (from 6.25 to 3.12 mg.mL−1). In addition, antagonistic, additive and indifferent effects were recorded at 1 %, 3 % and 93 %, respectively. Our findings provide new data on antimicrobial potential of local plants and possibilities of their use as food preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are the "guardians of the kitchen" and central to household food security, yet their role has never been studied across the Hindukush region or Pamiri Knot. This study explores the women's knowledge (specifically from the Khowar (Kho) and Wakhi linguistic groups) of local food systems and determines their role in ensuring household food security and sustainability in the mountain regions of northern Pakistan. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with female informants in the Rech and Broghil valleys of upper Chitral, 91 different types of food products were recorded, including wild and cultivated species. Eremurus stenophyllus and Allium barsczewskii were the commonly utilized plant species, though distinct preferences between the Kho and Wakhi groups were noted. Prominent differences were perceived in using certain cultivated plants among the two ethnic groups. For instance, Kho preferred plants like Beta vulgaris, Zea mays, and Brassica napus as indicated by the use reports, while Wakhi concentrated on Thymus serpyllum, Zygophyllum obliquum and Papaver involucratum. Both groups had shared dairy practices, but cottage cheese and curd were highly cited among Kho, while double-fermented curd and Qurut for Wakhi. The study recorded some new food uses for specific plants, such as Atriplex hortensis, Carthamus tinctorius, Hylotelephium spp., and Saxifraga sibirica. Cross-culture analyses revealed a mosaic pattern of homogenous and heterogenous trends based on reported food species of plants/animals and their use reports. Our findings emphasize the significant role of women in sustaining local food diversity, food sustainability, and the preservation and security of the local food systems, cultural legacy, and household food management. Therefore, inclusive research addressing their social, economic, and environmental issues must be conducted. Furthermore, policies must incorporate women's traditional knowledge to build resilient food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia has a high potential for diverse local food resources, one of which is the plant of adlay. Exploration activities aimed at collecting genetic resources of adlay have been successfully carried out in the province of West Sumatra, Indonesia, resulting in the collection of six local genotypes. The purpose of this research is to obtain information about the agronomic potential and starch content of several local adlay accessions. The study was conducted from April to September 2023 in Limau Manis, Padang City, West Sumatra. The six adlay accessions used in the study are PTA-1, KKD-3, PH-4, BTA-2, GT-2, and TJR-2. The experimental design employed was a completely randomized design with three replications. Based on the research findings, significant differences were observed in both agronomic aspects and starch content among the tested accessions. Adlay with the accession code PH-4 exhibited advantages in terms of harvest maturity and production. The starch content of adlay ranged from 56.64% to 61.26%, with the PH-4 accession having the highest amylopectin content (96.60%), while the highest amylose content was found in the GT-2, TJR-2, and KKD-3 accession (19.90%, 20.03%, and 20.48%). Accession PH-4 can be proposed as a candidate for Adlay variety assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood forecasting in data‐scarce catchments is challenging for hydrologists. To address this issue, a regional long short‐term memory model (R‐LSTM) is proposed. Given the diverse physical characteristics of sub‐catchments, this model scalarises the runoff data based on catchment attributes including area, confluence path length, slope and minimum and maximum runoff values, thereby eliminating the local influence and producing a geomorphological‐runoff factor as the model input. To assess the effectiveness of R‐LSTMs for flood forecasting in data‐scarce basins, the Jiaodong Peninsula in China was selected as the study area. The proposed R‐LSTMs are compared with local LSTMs, regional LSTMs that do not use catchment attributes, or regional LSTMs that incorporate catchment attributes in different ways. The results show that R‐LSTMs outperform the benchmarking LSTM models, especially in the simulation of flood peaks. The study indicates the potential of regionalization and the benefit of building the scalarised inputs of runoff data for regional LSTM that consider catchment attributes meticulously. The research findings can provide a reference for flood forecasting in data‐scarce regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capability of large food retail chains to respond quickly to changes in consumer behaviour and their dominant market position affects all food market players and often conflicts with the interests of national food producers, which can reduce the presence of locally sourced products in the food product mix in the country. Accordingly, the present research aims to identify the impacts of the diversification of opening hours of food supermarkets on consumer shopping habits and the implications for creating an advantage for small and medium agri-food producers in selling their products. The research applied a quantitative approach to identify the main trends in society (n = 2738), with a survey including 31 variables to quantify consumer behaviour, values, and opinions and seven socio-demographic variables. If a decision was made in Latvia to close grocery shops on Sundays or reduce their opening hours on weekends, 85% of consumers indicated that they would be unlikely to change their usual shopping location and would plan to shop at a supermarket on other days. The choice between farmers' markets and local food shops on Sundays would be made by 45% of consumers, with more than half (53%) of them shopping at local food shops at least a few times a month. The research uniquely investigated the impact of reducing supermarket opening hours on the competitive advantage of small and medium-sized agri-food producers. The findings revealed that reducing supermarket opening hours does not confer a competitive advantage to the producers or significantly shift consumer preferences towards their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work focuses, first of all, on the legal and political dimensions attached to the concepts of environment, agriculture, and nutrition in the European Union. Secondly, we analyze the projection of the sustainability principle in food policy since the approval of the European Green New Deal, and the development of the "Farm to Fork" strategy. On this basis, we examine the concepts of food safety and food sovereignty, and their relationship to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and other norms. Finally, we discuss from a legal-administrative perspective how the "Farm to Fork" Strategy has been implemented in the areas of prevention, control, and punishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of traditional food products passes down from one generation to another, and contributes to the formation of the cultural identity and gastronomic patrimony. The know-how employed and the variety of preparation techniques reflect the origins, and the references of consumers. This study aims to detail the different steps and practices used by Tunisian women during preparation of the traditional salted and dried meat product known as "kaddid", and to study its physicochemical and microbial properties. For this purpose, 400 women were interviewed in 8 regions of Tunisia. The results of this survey described the different traditional Tunisian processes, and recipes used for the preparation of kaddid. The outcomes highlighted significant differences in the preparation of kaddid between regions. Kaddid can be made from sheep (89% of respondents), beef (22% of respondents), camel or goat (3% of respondents) and various parts may be used depending on the local food habits. 70% of the interviewed used dry salting combined with seasoning as salting mode. After sun drying, kaddid is frozen until use or traditionally preserved through post-processing steps which consist of frying then storing in sealed jars filled with olive oil (31% according to the respondents) or simply at room temperature in hermetically sealed glass jars. In order to study the physicochemical and microbial characteristics of kaddid, a sample was prepared based on the results of the survey, according to the most commonly used recipe. The pH (5.77±0.03), water activity (0.54±0.001), and moisture (23.67±0.17) values were considered suitable for the safety and stability of the product. The lipid oxidation rate of kaddid expressed in terms of TBARS (0.55±0.02 mg MDA/kg) content was much lower than the upper limit of rancidity (2mg MDA/kg). The results showed a significant effect of the kaddid processing on reducing the initial microbial load of raw meat (p<0.05). The microbiological characterization showed that molds, yeasts, and Staphylococcus presented the dominant population, while Lactic bacteria was present in low numbers in kaddid samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of tourists' neophobia and liminoid behavior tendencies on their food consumption behaviors in hotels offering all-inclusive services. Tourist's food consumption was operationalized in two domains amount (how much they consumed compared to their daily food intake) and content (whether they consumed local or familiar food compared to their routine food consumption patterns). The sample comprised 280 tourists staying in two all-inclusive holiday resorts in Antalya, Turkey. The reliability and validity of the measurement model was demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) before the four hypotheses in the research model were tested using structural equation modeling. In support of the hypotheses, the findings showed that neophobia significantly reduced the amount and novelty of tourists' food consumption whereas liminoid tendencies significantly increased them. In conclusion both neophobia and liminoid tendencies are significant predictors of tourists' food consumption behaviors in all-inclusive hotels operating in Antalya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Web 3.0 and artificial intelligence (AI) have presented unprecedent impact on the food sector. However, there is no clear scientific description yet related to their influences on food safety, quality and traceability across the meat supply chain. This study systematically reviews the available data pertaining to Web 3.0 and related novel technologies, their possible use in the meat supply chain and their confluent effect on meat safety. This systematic review followed the PRISMA methodology. The articles selected were identified by searching three databases: Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed. The search results showed that the meat industry and the meat supply chain have their share of positive implications instigated by Web 3.0 technologies. Web 3.0 technologies are shown to be effective for the food safety of meat from farm to fork, particularly in inspection and quality assessment with blockchain integration enhancing transparency and traceability with innovative approaches promising to improve meat safety, increase profitability, efficiency, scalability and modularisation of meat manufacturing in addition to better adherence to animal welfare increasing thus consumer's confidence. Further research is still, needed to examine the role of such technologies at the level of other parts of the supply chain including the pre‐processing step, processing and packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retail distribution is essential for the growth of markets for local food. While online direct‐to‐consumer and local food hubs are becoming more sophisticated, the largest market for local foods remains the traditional intermediation (retailing) sector. We develop an agent‐based model to simulate the expansion, growth and profitability of retailers offering local foods across a landscape populated by consumers and competing retailers. We design a series of experiments to examine how changes in prices and assortment that include local and non‐local options in the fresh produce category impact store market share and profitability. We validate the model, and conduct our experiments, using household fresh produce expenditures data from a retail food‐delivery business in the Mid‐Atlantic region of the US. We find that retailers offering a larger assortment of local foods are able to sustain higher basket‐average retail prices and exhibit higher long‐run profits in comparison to retailers that do not carry local options. These results underscore the importance of local foods in a food retailer's price and assortment strategy. The key implication is that retailers need to be conscious not only of the breadth but also of the quality of their assortment in their pricing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Political interests and power structures shape state‐led crop conservation and food policy. As a crop that relates to culture and belonging, the chile crop is ideal for exploring how food security policy and crop conservation schemes integrate aspects beyond staple crops, calories and/or electoral incentives. What do these schemes mean for the food and ingredients we love? Reflecting from this perspective can be useful to grasp, re‐frame and create more effective and inclusive food policies—ones that embody and valorise flavour, identities and territories beyond statements on paper. Summary: In line with the Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) international action plan for crop genetic resources, the Mexican state inaugurated the National System of Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SINAREFI) in 2002. In this paper, I explore SINAREFI's interest in landraces and in situ conservation through the case of chile pepper, set under the Ministry of Agriculture's interests of promoting industrial agriculture and paternalistic food security welfare programmes.Through the analyses of existing literature on food security in Mexico state programmes, archival work and interviews, this article analyses how discourses on food security shape research trajectories, some of which are inevitably constrained by current market‐based agricultural systems.By exploring the state's chile research and conservation programme, this work demonstrates the complexity of international food security discourse and its application domestically. Particularly, this analysis highlights the limitations of state crop research and conservation efforts imposed by contradictory agricultural policies. In the case of chile, its link to Mexican culture and diet uncovers an important, but often overlooked, aspect of food security: flavour.In the case of chile, a non‐staple but culturally symbolic crop, welfare programmes remained paternalistic and focused on caloric intake despite the transformation of national discourse on food security towards the integration of landraces and local cultures through the inauguration of SINAREFI. This case study reflects on the limits of current framings and strategies regarding food security and the need to direct policies towards local food sovereignty to achieve the necessary stability for food security to endure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The affordances offered by digital platforms may support the formation and maintenance of moralized markets – defined as markets that are undergirded with explicit moral principles that guide the interactions between market actors. In this paper, we draw on key tenets from recent advances in affordance theory, identifying social media platform affordances that support the moralization of digital markets. We develop insights based on qualitative data from the context of Norwegian digital local food markets, with focus on the role of digital affordances. We theorize particular 'moral affordances' that matter in the moralization of markets. We conclude by considering the possible outcomes that the increasing use of digital platforms may have for the moralization of contemporary markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local food systems can have economic and social benefits by providing income for producers and improving community connections. Ongoing global climate change and the acute COVID-19 pandemic crisis have shown the importance of building equity and resilience in local food systems. We interviewed ten stakeholders from organizations and institutions in a U.S. midwestern city exploring views on past, current, and future conditions to address the following two objectives: 1) Assess how local food system equity and resilience were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) Examine how policy and behavior changes could support greater equity and resilience within urban local food systems. We used the Community Capitals Framework to organize interviewees' responses for qualitative analyses of equity and resilience. Four types of community capital were emphasized by stakeholders: cultural and social, natural, and political capital. Participants stated that the local food system in this city is small; more weaknesses in food access, land access, and governance were described than were strengths in both pre- and post-pandemic conditions. Stakeholder responses also reflected lack of equity and resilience in the local food system, which was most pronounced for cultural and social, natural and political capitals. However, local producers' resilience during the pandemic, which we categorized as human capital, was a notable strength. An improved future food system could incorporate changes in infrastructure (e.g., food processing), markets (e.g., values-based markets) and cultural values (e.g., valuing local food through connections between local producers and consumers). These insights could inform policy and enhance community initiatives and behavior changes to build more equitable and resilient local food systems in urban areas throughout the U.S. Midwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional food is grounded in local practices and heritage. With industrialization and post-green revolution threat to food produced within specific region and the associated knowledge has become imminent. Scholars have analyzed the revival of regional foods in different parts of the world. However, there have been limited studies focusing on the revival of regional food from the perspective of food as commons. The paper fills this gap by analyzing the efforts of Morarka-GDC Foundation along with farmers collective in Nawalgarh, India. Employing the framework of commons, we examine how the foundation along with the collective is reviving Shekhawati region's foods. We used primary and secondary sources to capture the social activities undertaken to sustain the commons. It was found that adopting organic agricultural practices helped in reviving the regional foods by creating and using stock of local resources. Further, social dilemma associated with culinary commons was avoided by creating networks between producers and consumers through Shekhawati festival and Morarka Organics. These practices have resulted in rebuilding the local food system, local tourism, and intergenerational transmission strengthening the local gastronomic identity. However, linking regional food with gastronomic tourism can threaten the local gastronomic culture and survival of authentic regional food. We also find that for a sustained management of the regional foods, scaling-up plays an essential role which has further limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 2 decades, the literature has documented the upsurge of community-driven processes of consumer-producer cooperation, which are alternative to the dominant food system. These organizational arrangements have been conceptualized differently, witnessing the growing importance of local communities in generating place-based solutions to the demand for organic, local, and sustainable food. Relying on a practice theory approach, this article delves into two key inquiries: first, what motivates individuals to become part of Civic Food Networks (CFNs) and how does this influence the variety of food entering their households? And second, how does participation in a CFN impact people's daily food practices, with a particular focus on diet diversification? We employ the term "civic food networks (CFN)" to underscore the significance of grassroots initiatives in the broader context of local food policies. This term also highlights the connections to other movements known for their potential for transformation, such as the solidarity economy, transition towns, and de-growth movements. Our analysis draws on a comprehensive qualitative approach, which includes participant observation, in-depth interviews, and a focus group involving members of the CSA Naturalmente in Trentino, situated in the North-Eastern part of Italy. The findings reveal that altering dietary habits poses various challenges both at the individual and institutional levels. This process involves the stabilization of ingrained habits, adjustments to daily routines, and the reinforcement of shared norms. Furthermore, it underscores the critical role of food policies in promoting sustainable eating practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of crises such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, local food systems have emerged as a potential solution to the challenges of food sovereignty and sustainability. However, the adoption of local food as a widespread practice remains limited. The aim of this research is to identify the drivers that could lead to the widespread adoption of local food systems as an inclusive practice in urban areas. We adopt a systemic approach to analyze the dynamics of supply systems and communities in a city within the Paris region, combining geographic, ethnographic, and documentary data. Our findings reveal a tentative practice and a gap between the supply and the population's usage patterns. Our research highlights how food behaviors are embedded within interacting systems. It calls on public authorities to make local food systems a significant focus for large-scale distribution and urges the economic sphere to rethink its business models and value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern global food system is highly unsustainable, shaped by industrialisation and corporate consolidation, with negative repercussions on the environment and biodiversity as well as human health. This paper looks at the burgeoning economy in neglected and underutilised species (NUS) in the Western Cape, South Africa, as a potential innovation that could make the local food system more socially and ecologically resilient. Although, at present, NUS are only marginally included in the local food system and policy discussions, NUS increasingly appear in the high-end food industry, driven by international gastronomic trends. These species hold potential as climate resilient, nutritionally dense, and socially and culturally significant foods in the region, but they also carry ecological and social risks. We critically examine the fledgling NUS economy in the Cape Town area to unpack the motivations and challenges associated with the potentially transformative inclusion of these foods into the local food system. We demonstrate that the main risks associated with NUS are negative ecological repercussions, privatisation of the NUS economy, and the reproduction and further entrenchment of unequal power and race dynamics in the region. To mitigate these risks and actualise the related benefits associated with NUS, engagement with the ecological, social, and political context of NUS needs to be significantly deepened. This is particularly true for those working in the high-end food industry, who appear to be driving the NUS economy, and will require education around sustainability and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), as well as a foregrounding awareness of power dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored beer consumers' and producers' perceptions of using local fruit and agroindustrial by-products in brewing. An online survey was conducted in Italy with 496 beer consumers and 54 beer producers. The survey assessed sociodemographic information, consumption behavior, and support for brewery neolocalism, along with brewers' perceptions of the sustainability of their breweries. Findings showed high consumers' involvement in sustainable eating and high support for breweries utilizing local resources and operating in a sustainable way. Breweries rated their sustainability practices as moderate, and most of them considered their efforts in using local raw materials and repurposing by-products as "excellent". Both consumers and producers considered beer made with agroindustrial by-products less tasty than those with local fruit (p < 0.05), but no significant difference in willingness to buy was observed (p > 0.05). According to cluster analysis results, the ideal consumer profile for sustainable beers was characterized by a higher proportion of females prioritizing sustainability and local sourcing over sensory quality. Therefore, using local materials or agroindustrial by-products can align brewers' practices with consumers' preferences, enhancing competitiveness and market positioning by fostering a sense of sustainability and locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan has numerous vineyards with distinct geographical and climatic conditions. To the best of our knowledge, there is no comprehensive analysis of the diversity of yeasts associated with wine grapes from Japan. This study aimed to determine yeast diversity in wine grapes from four wine-producing regions in Japan and to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of wines produced with indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from two regions. A total of 2648 strains were isolated from nine wine grape samples. MALDI-TOF MS and 26S rDNA sequence analyses revealed that the strains belonged to 21 non-Saccharomyces yeasts and 1 Saccharomyces yeast (S. cerevisiae). Non-Saccharomyces yeasts were found in high quantities and were highly distributed among the wine grape samples. Differences in the distribution of the identified yeast species were noted among the different wine grape varieties and regions. Indigenous S. cerevisiae strains of different genotypes from different regions exhibit distinct physiological traits. Our findings are expected to enhance our understanding of the local yeasts associated with Japanese vineyards and contribute to obtaining cultures that can provide region-specific organoleptic characteristics to local wines produced in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While volunteers are widespread in U.S. local food systems, they have not been the focus of data collection or research. As a result, we have limited understanding of the perspectives and motivations of local food volunteers. In this reflective essay, I describe my insights from volunteering in Alexandria, Virginia. The two initiatives that I focus on were to establish a "Power of Produce" program at my local farmers market and an after-school culinary and gardening program at a private elementary school. The former program I have been able to sustain for three years (as of this writing), whereas the latter program was discontinued after two eight-week sessions. In this essay, I describe my motivations in conceptualizing and organizing these programs. I also describe challenges I encountered due to inexperience or capacity constraints as a volunteer. I conclude by discussing how additional research that examines the roles and motivations of volunteers could be valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension educators have a long history of providing education to help individuals, families, and communities. Since the 1980s, however, FCS has been described as at a crossroads, lacking a unified vision of how to maintain relevance in a changing society. FCS programs have had reduced enrollment and attendance, leaving FCS educators seeking new audiences. Many workplaces now have employee wellness and education programs that are an emerging opportunity for FCS educators. FCS is inherently interdisciplinary, bringing together many foodrelated topics such as cooking, nutrition education, and food preservation. This interdisciplinary focus makes local food systems an important opportunity for new FCS educational programs. Workplace community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, which connect local farmers and employees via employer-sponsored cost-offsets, are an emerging model increasingly adopted by employers to support employee health and wellness. Where they have been implemented, however, they have often been complemented by only limited education, in part due to lack of a formal local food--focused health and wellness curriculum. The purpose of this study was to gain information to guide the development of a local food health and wellness education program that would complement a workplace CSA program. The study assessed potential workplace wellness program participants' perceived knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to purchasing and cooking local food, and the types of information that would be most useful in the education program and participants' preferred program format. Respondents had positive attitudes about local food, but limited knowledge about how to purchase and prepare it. Respondents indicated that an education program that provided information on those topics, as well as information about unusual fruits and vegetables grown locally and how to reduce food waste would be most useful to them. Respondents preferred online program offerings during weekday lunchtimes. These findings provide guidance for designing a local food health and wellness education program tailored to this audience. We conclude by sharing some recommendations for developing or delivering programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As social, environmental, climate change, and public health challenges mount, there is growing recognition that many of the roots of these contemporary crises are to be found in the nature and trajectory of the dominant food and agricultural systems. Consequently, a growing number of Australian civil society organizations (CSOs) seek to engage in processes of food system governance to address concerns of health and wellbeing, sustainability, and resilience. This paper summarizes a case study that explored the characteristics, values, and activities of seven food-related CSOs and identified the factors that enable or hinder their work. The results revealed that while the ability of CSOs to influence food system governance has been modest to date, some progress is being made, particularly regarding food systems governance processes at the local government level, pointing to the possibility of more participatory forms of local food system governance developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and challenges associated with sustainable development have emphasized the need for local food to increase the food system's resilience. Therefore, this research analyzes the food self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) and revealed comparative advantage (RCA) of cereals in Western Balkan countries (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia) and compares them with the same indicators for all European countries. The methodological framework of this research examined the food self-sufficiency and macro-level competitiveness for cereals in Western Balkan countries, as well as in Europe. The results of the research showed that all European countries have higher self-sufficiency in cereals (109.12%) and higher revealed comparative advantage (2.21) compared to the group of Western Balkans countries (71.89%; 1.53), which have lower values of the mentioned indicators. The results of econometric modeling for the Western Balkan countries showed that GDP per capita negatively influences the SSR of cereals, and agriculture value added per worker and area harvested under cereals positively influence the SSR of cereals. When it comes to the influence on the RCA of cereals in the Western Balkan region, the critical influence is GDP per capita, political stability, and agriculture value added per worker, all of which positively influence the RCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]